Impatiens plants named ‘Butly Lilla’

ABSTRACT

An  Impatiens  cultivar particularly distinguished by deep-colored lavender flowers, large leaves, good vigor, and a trailing habit is disclosed.

Genus and species: Impatiens walleriana×Impatiens pseudoviola.

Variety denomination: ‘Butly Lilla’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens walleriana×Impatiens pseudoviola, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Butly Lilla’. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization made in the year 2003 in Andijk, The Netherlands. The female parent is ‘IY-618-3’, an unpatented proprietary impatiens line having lavender-colored flowers, while the male parent is ‘SPZ-1-21’, an unpatented proprietary impatiens line having lavender-colored flowers.

The new cultivar was created in 2003 in Andijk, The Netherlands and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissue culture in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands over a one and a half year period. The plant has also been trialed at Gilroy, Calif., and Andijk, The Netherlands. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gilroy, Calif. and Andijk, The Netherlands.

-   -   1. Lavender-colored flowers;     -   2. Floriferous; and     -   3. Good vigor and a trailing habit.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows overall plant habit including blooms, buds, and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of three four and a half month-old plants grown in an 8-inch pot in Andijk, The Netherlands in a greenhouse in a late winter/spring trial setting.

The accompanying photograph shows overall plant habit including blooms, buds and foliage; the inset shows mature inflorescences.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Butly Lilla’. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Gilroy, Calif. The plant history was taken on 12-week-old plants grown in 4-inch pots in a poly-covered greenhouse in the spring/early summer season. Color readings were taken under natural light in the greenhouse. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2001). Texture description details were observed under a dissecting microscope.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Impatiens walleriana×Impatiens pseudoviola.         -   Common name.—Impatiens. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—‘IY-618-3’ proprietary line (unpatented).         -   Male parent.—‘SPZ-1-21’ proprietary line (unpatented). -   Growth:     -   -   Form.—Slightly upright and semi-trailing.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Good basal branching; vigorous;             pinching of the terminal apices enhances branching and             floriferousness.         -   Height (from soil level to top of blooms).—10-15 cm.         -   Width (including flowers).—10-20 cm.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—8-10 weeks for a             4-inch pot.         -   Outdoor plant performance.—Does well in afternoon shade; is             free-flowering through the spring, summer and fall; has some             heat tolerance; use in hanging baskets, mixed containers,             and window boxes.         -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—10-21 days.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy, and white. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, whorls.         -   Length.—3.4-3.7 cm.         -   Width.—2.5-3.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Margin.—Crenate with one ciliate at each lobe.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 147A, but lighter. Lower surface:             Closest to RHS 147B.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Venation color.—RHS 144B.         -   Petiole.—Length: 0.8-1.0 cm. Diameter: 0.15 cm. Color: RHS             144B with a slight hue of anthocyanin in very small             irregular blotches, pale reddish brown. Texture: Glabrous. -   Stems:     -   -   Length.—10-20 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.4-0.5 cm.         -   Internode length.—2.0-3.0 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 144A.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Stem anthocyanin.—Present as a heavy overlay of anthocyanin             in small irregular blotches, reddish brown.         -   Pedicel.—Length: 2.5-2.7 cm. Diameter: 0.1 cm. Color: RHS             144A. Texture: Glabrous. -   Peduncle.—Length: 2.2-2.7 cm. Diameter: 0.15 cm. Color: RHS 144A.     Texture: Glabrous. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Diameter.—0.5-0.6 cm.         -   Length.—0.8-0.9 cm.         -   Color at tight bud.—RHS 75C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous and freely all through the             spring, summer and fall.         -   Inflorescence type.—Racemes in leaf axis and in leaf whorls.         -   Number of flowers per raceme and/or whorl.—Approximately             10-15, including buds.         -   Number of flowers per plant.—Approximately 75-120.         -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—4-8 days.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Flowers:     -   -   Floret form.—5 petals, 1 standard or dorsal (free); 2             lateral or lobed pairs (wing petals), deeply lobed.         -   Floret diameter.—2.8-2.9 cm.         -   Floret height.—2.8-2.9 cm.         -   Color, immature flowers, upper surface.—Dorsal petal:             Between RHS N74B and RHS N74C with an RHS 145B spot at the             apex. Lateral petal: Between RHS N74B and RHS N74C, but a             little darker than the dorsal petal; RHS N74A blotches on             the basal one-third of the petal.         -   Color, immature flowers, lower surface.—Dorsal petal: RHS             76C with RHS 75A at the margins of some flowers. Lateral             petal: RHS 76C with RHS 75A at the margins of some flowers.         -   Color, mature flowers, upper surface.—Dorsal petal: Between             RHS N74C and RHS N74D with an RHS 145B spot at the apex.             Lateral petal: Between RHS N74B and RHS N74C, but a little             darker than the dorsal petal; RHS N74A blotches on the basal             one-third of the petal.         -   Color, mature flowers, lower surface.—Dorsal petal: RHS 76C             with RHS 75A at the margins of some flowers. Lateral petal:             RHS 76C with RHS 75A at the margins of some flowers. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—5.         -   Dorsal.—Length: 1.2-1.3 cm. Width: 1.6-1.8 cm. Shape:             Orbicular. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture: Papillose.         -   Lateral.—Length: 1.3-1.4 cm. Width: 0.6-1.1 cm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture: Papillose. -   Sepals:     -   -   Quantity.—3, 1 larger than the others, with a spur.         -   Large sepal.—Color: RHS 157D; RHS 144A keel. Length:             1.1-1.2 cm. Width: 0.5-0.6 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptical.             Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous.             Spur: Color: RHS 145C with a 0.5 cm tip of RHS 144A. Length:             2.7-2.8 cm.         -   Small sepal.—Color: RHS 144A. Length: 0.4 cm. Width: 0.1 cm.             Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture: Glabrous. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—5; more or less fused by the anthers and covering             the ovary.         -   Pollen cap color.—RHS N74C.         -   Pollen amount.—Not observed.         -   Pistil.—1, complete. -   Fruit and seed set: Has not been observed. -   Disease and insect resistance: Has not been observed.

COMPARISON WITH KNOWN CULTIVARS

‘Butly Lilla’ differs from the female parent, ‘IY-618-3’ proprietary line (unpatented), in that ‘Butly Lilla’ has smaller flowers and a more trailing habit than ‘IY-618-3’. ‘Butly Lilla’ differs from the male parent, ‘SPZ-1-21’ proprietary line (unpatented), in that ‘Butly Lilla’ has larger flowers, has more vigor, and is more floriferous than ‘SPZ-1-21’.

‘Butly Lilla’ differs from the commercial cultivar ‘Fify Lav’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,821) in that ‘Butly Lilla’ is a larger plant, has larger leaves, and has larger and more purple-colored flowers than ‘Fify Lav’. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant as shown and described herein. 